Automatic switch and signal throw.



BEST AVMLABLE co m'fmrsn JULY 25, 1905. M. LUNDGARD.

H. J. WINTHERLIGH 6a A AUTOMATIC SWITCH AND SIGNAL THROW.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1904.

BEST AVAlLABLE coP UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANS J. WINTHERLICH, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, AND ANTON M. LUND GARD, OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed September 27, 1904. Serial No. 226,146.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, HANS J. WINTHER- "LIoH, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, and ANTON M. LUNDGARD, residing at Council Bluffs, in the county of Fottawattamie and State of Iowa, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Automatic Switch and Signal Throw, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in railway-switches and signal-throws, and especially to that class designed to be automatically operated by the moving train, thus eliminating the possibility of accidental collision from the front as well asthe rear of the holding train at a station. Having these objects in view, we have produced a switch and signal which will be hereinafter described in detail and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top view of the entire mechanism, showing the main track open and indicated open by the signal. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a signal-post seen from line A B to the right. Fig. 3 isa vertical section on line C D of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view from line E F of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side view from the lineG H of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a side view from line I K of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. 1, 2 and 3 are pivoted rails or platforms, upon which the flanges of the carwheels will bear, thus furnishing the motive power to actuate the switch and signal, as described hereinafter. Rails 2 and 3 are fastened to levers 4:. Levers 4 are pivoted at one end to a bracket 5 inside the rail of the track and at the other end to a connecting-rod 6. The other end of connecting-rod 6 is pivoted to bell-crank 7. Bell-crank 7 has its other end connected to another similar bellcrank 7 by a connecting-cable 8. Bell-crank 7 is pivotally fastened to ashifter 11 and also connected by red 28 to a crank 29, which is fastened to a perpendicular shaft 30 of the signal-post 31. Said shaft 30 carries on its top end the signal 32 and is also provided with a double lever 33. The two ends of said levers 33 are connected with cables to the corresponding ends of levers 35 of the signalpost 37.

It will now be seen that the downward motion of rail 2 by the pressure of the carwheel upon it will betransferred through connecting rod 6 into bell crank 7, then through cable 8 into bell-crank 7, and from bell-crank 7 through the mentioned connections into the signal-post. With proper connection of the rails of the switch to shifter 11, which are later described, it will be seen that the mot-ion of the shifter 11 throws the switch" and also turns the signals. Shifter 11 is connected to a fork 12 at the open end of the fork 13. In the closed end of the fork is a hole 14:, which allows the fork to slide on a rod 15. Rod 15 is connected to the switchtongues 1 lat 17 by the connecting-piece 16, and the other end passes through hole 13 in a bracket 19, which is fastened to a block or tie 20. Upon rod 15, between bracket 19 and the closed end of fork 12, is set a spring 21. Said spring holds switch-tongues in an open position and is designed to bring shifter 11 back into an open position when power has been applied and released again at rail 2.

The switch-tongues 1 1 are pivoted to their respective rails at 23 and kept together by the rod 24:, so that they follow one another in motion. The shifter 11 is provided with a catch 22, which engages switch-tongue 1, thus carrying tongue 1 with it in its motion forward, and also provided with connecting-piece 16, engaging tongue 1 in its return motion.

The rail 3 has for its object keeping the main track open until the whole train is inside the switch. i

Rail 3, like rail 2, is operated from the pressure of the car-wheels. It is pivotally connected to a bell-crank 39 by connecting-rod 38. Bell-crank 39 is connected to a similar bellcrank 41 by rodAO. Bell-crank 11 is provided at its other end with a rod 42, which passes under the main rail. The end of said rod 42 passes through a hole in lap 13, which is attached to the switchingtougues at I L. Said rod 42 is provided with ashoulder 4:5. It is now plain to see that when pressure is applied upon rail 3 the motion is transferred through the bell-cranks 39 and 4:1 and their several connecting-rods, and by aid of the shoulder 45 the switch-tongues 1 are held back in an open position. Therefore the switch is held open as long as any part of the train is upon rail 3. As the train enters the switch it bears first upon rail 3 and then upon rail 2, being, however, that rail 3 tends to open the switch and rail 2 tends 0 close it. A spring 25 is provided in the cable which will be under tension so long as the .rain bears upon rail 2 and rail 3 simultaieously. When the last car of the train has .eft rail 3, the tension of spring 25 will actuate ;he shifter 11, thus throwing the switch and signal-post.

Having thus described our invention and its method of operation, what we claim is- 1. In an automatic switch and signal throw, the combination of side rails, parallel with the main rails, arranged one to close the switch between two to open the switch, and actuated by the flanges of the wheels of a train, of a shifter, fastened to switch-tongues, connecting-rods, bell-cranks and cables pivoted thereto substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic switch and signal throw, the combination of side rails, parallel with the main rails arranged one to close the switch oetween two to open the switch, and actuated by the flanges of the wheels of a train, of a shifter, fastened to switch-tongues, connecting-rods, bell-cranks, cables pivoted thereto,

BEST AVAILABLE COP and a cable connection from the center side rail to both end side rails, cable having a spring that will counteract the opposing forces when two side rails are actuated simultaneously substantially as set forth..

3. In an automatic switch and signal throw, the combination of side rails parallel with the main rails, arranged one to close the switch between two to open the switch and actuated by the flanges of the wheels of a train, of a shifter fastened to switch-tongues, connecting-rods, bell-cranks, cables, pivoted thereto, a cable connection from the center side rail to both end side rails, cable having a spring that will counteract the opposing forces when two side rails are actuated simultaneously and of one or more signal-posts arranged at any suitable distance and connected by cable to the shifter, all substantially as set forth.

I HANS J. WINTHERLICH.

ANTON M. LUNDGARD. Witnesses:

W. M. PYPER, H. W. HAZELTON. 

